Which Product or Service Innovation will win the 2013 Summit

Four finalists vie for the Urban Animal Industry's highest award in the category of Product or Service Innovation:

1. WOOF - Nova Scotia Department of Justice (Angela Poirier) is nominated for a program which pairs dogs and offenders for social and behavioral development that provides a mutual benefit.
2. Champion of Pet Owner Happiness - Pets Plus Us, RSA (Randy Valpy) is nominated for a program that recasts the way pet insurers, veterinarians and pet owners work together to achieve affordable health care.
3. Affinities Renewable - Nova Scotia SPCA (Kristin Williams) is nominated for a program that delivers renewable energy and as well as a sustainable source of funding for NSSPCA community services.
4. Poooh Busters is nominated for a program that delivers a novel waste removal and responsible waste handling business. 

The Summit for Product or Service Innovation recognizes an innovative product or service that improves the quality of life for people and pets in homes, in communities or industry sector(s). 

The 2013 Summit for Product or Service Innovation will be presented during the Awards Gala on Friday, 18 October 2013. This event is open to the public.

VOTE NOW!

An interview with PetLynx founder Larry R. Evans

An Indepth look at the Summits for Urban Animal Strategies


InfoStream:  The Summit program has become an industry-wide program that now involves all sectors of the industry and hundreds of thought leaders. How did it all begin?
Evans:  The Summit program grew out of an annual gathering of PetLynx clients which was first held in 2003.  By 2005 we realized that collaboration should be an industry goal and that a much broader representation was required.  So in the Fall of 2005, we held a dinner at the Rimrock Inn in Banff, Alberta and presented a plan to create the Summits.


InfoStream:  Who were the other industry participants that helped create this program?
Evans:  Among the founding thought leaders were: Jim Sykes, HBSPCA; Katherine Tremble-Taylor, P and G; Randy Valpy, Western Financial Insurance Company; Dr. Lynn Webster, Western Financial Insurance Company; Mario Vinet, CDMV; Patricia Cameron, Calgary Humane Society; and, Louis McCann, Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council of Canada.


InfoStream:  So what did you and your colleagues see as the goal for the Summits?
Evans:  These leaders met and accepted the following vision and mission statements for the Summit program:

• Our vision is to gather executive level thought leaders who can advance the state of the art in urban animal strategies
• Our mission is to promote strategies that build healthy communities for pets and people and to recognize those who achieve success

InfoStream:  When was the first Summit held?
Evans:  In October 2006, the first International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies was held at the Banff Centre for Leadership Development with the theme of ‘Care in the Community’. The Summit featured several speakers fresh from the Katrina disaster response in Louisiana.  The Summit looked at how community resources could be brought together to meet such challenges in a collaborative fashion.


InfoStream:  As you look back what were the most important developments in the evolution of the Summits?
Evans:  I think there were three developments that carried the Summits to a different level:

• In April 2007, we delivered the first Regional Summit for ‘Associate’ level participants in Kitchener, Ontario. This program has now been expanded to four regions across Canada: Atlantic, Central, Prairie and Pacific. It is focused where the 'rubber hits the road' on managers that deliver services to the pet family.
• Also in October of 2007, we delivered the first of the Urban Animal Surveys and a fact/evidence base that could influence thinking about urban animal issues and the strategies that could be applied. The first survey was directed to 'Dangerous and Disruptive' pets in response to the challenges of breed-specific legislation.  In 2010/2011 we published the first Annual Report of Urban Animal Activities and we now expect to publish this report on a continuous basis.
• The third and possibly most controversial change came about in October 2010, when we invited Karen Dawson to facilitate an 'OpenSpace' session on the second day.  While this change seemed a bit risky at the time, OpenSpace has allowed industry conversations to form at the International Summit and continue online between these annual Summits. There are now several strategic conversations underway across Canada [Breeders, NCAC and Cats] that have arisen specifically from these sessions.

InfoStream:  What kind of recognition have the Summits achieved in Canada and abroad?
Evans:  The Summit Alumni and Associates have achieved recognition in several ways. The 2011 Summits were officially sanctioned as worldwide events under the Vet 2011 project. Recently, Summit programs have attracted attention from Europe, Austral-Asia and South America. While we expect our focus for the next year or two will continue to be North America, it's encouraging to see interest and ideas being shared with other markets.


InfoStream:  The Summit mission statement says you wish 'to recognize those who achieve success'. How successful has this peer recognition aspect of the program been?
Evans:  You are correct that a significant aspect of the Summit mission is peer recognition. The first program to launch was the Summit awards program. This program brings peer reviewed nominations to an academy style election of award recipients who are honoured at the National Awards Gala at the International Summit for Urban Animal Strategies each Fall. In 2011 there were 12 Summit categories. Over the first six years, Alumni have conferred 50 national awards upon their peers.


InfoStream:  The underlying Summit objective seems to be about bringing industry peers towards more collaboration. What plans do you have to enhance peer-to-peer relationships in the industry?
Evans:  As we move into the seventh year of the Summit program we are launching a P2P [peer to peer] program that will expand recognition and relationships across the industry. Six designations [badges] will be used in the Social Media and Communications channel to promote professionalism and leadership development among industry peers:

• Advocates - There may be 12 in Canada
• Mentors  - There may be 30 in Canada
• Alumni - There are 169 in the International Summit program
• Associates - There are 249 in the Regional Summit program
• Collaborators - There are 1,569 in Canadian Collaborative programs
• Social Media and Communications - There are just over 40,000 stakeholders within the sound of our voice

InfoStream:  The Summits have been a 'big vision' and PetLynx has made good progress so far, where do you see the Summit program headed in the future?
Evans:  PetLynx is in the midst of one of the most exciting developments that I have lead in my career. We have created a new business unit at PetLynx Corporation. The Summit program, the Urban Animal Surveys, all business intelligence and all PetLynx market services have been incorporated into a unit called Marketing Services and Intelligence [MSI]. In this business area we are providing the communications channel and technical facilities to equip the ‘New Companion Animal Industry’ for this new era. The ‘will’ to become more collaborative is clearly evident. Even though there will be challenges to overcome, I think that everyone can observe the emergence of new relationships and a 4th wave of thinking in our industry. I am now confident that together with our industry colleagues we can deliver healthy communities for pets and people and that, after all, was the original vision of the Summits for Urban Animal Strategies.


InfoStream:  Thanks for sharing the vision and history of the Summits.

NOTICE - National Codes of Conduct

Executives in the companion animal industry concerned about Codes of Conduct governing retailers, shelters and commercial operations are invited to attend an OpenSpace on this matter at the Regional Summits for Urban Animal Strategies, 13 - 19 April 2011 in Toronto, Halifax, Red Deer and Vancouver.

Background:
The advent of the internet has allowed numerous service providers to hold themselves out as legitimate members of the companion animal industry. Some of these service providers escape detection and deliver sub-standard services. The companion animal industry has recognized this problem and has come together to develop a solution that will reduce or eliminate this problem. A new national seal of approval will allow service providers to help pet families acquire services or donate funds to a compliant provider with confidence.

OpenSpace:
Retailers, Humane Societies, Veterinarians, Breeders, Licensing Agencies and other Service providers are invited to attend one of four Summits and to participate in a facilitated discussion of the proposed qualifications. Louis McCann, Chair, National Companion Animal Coalition, is leading a conversation on the new National Codes of Conduct governing all aspects of the companion animal industry.

Other Summit Conversations:
Joe Mauro, CEO of the Canadian Kennel Club, will be leading a national conversation on the Best Practices for Breeders with the support of the other national industry leaders. Patricia Cameron, Executive Director, Calgary Humane Society, will be leading a conversation that looks at the four waves of the humane movement. Mike Dover, author of "WikiBrands", principal of Socialstruct Advisory Group will deliver the National Urban Animal Report for 2010.

Registration:
The specific venues and dates, as well as the registration, for these events can be found at http://www.tsuas.com/ or by contacting Judi Cannon
e: event@tsuas.com; p: 705.749.6607

NOTICE - The Humane Movement - Where we're coming from and Where we're going

Executives in the companion animal industry concerned about the Future of the Humane Movement are invited to attend an OpenSpace on this matter at the Regional Summits for Urban Animal Strategies, 13 - 19 April 2011 in Toronto, Halifax, Red Deer and Vancouver.

Background:
There have been four waves in the development of the Humane movement. The future may be challenging as the internet expands the reach of pseudo Humane organizations who may not deliver any legitimate services in the areas where they raise funds. The companion animal industry has recognized this problem and has come together to develop a solution that will provide official recognition for compliant agencies. A new national seal of approval together with changes to the legislation governing Not For Profit Status may help identify the legitimate Humane organizations.

OpenSpace:
Retailers, Humane Societies, Veterinarians, Breeders, Licensing Agencies, Internet and other Service providers are invited to attend one of four Summits and to participate in a facilitated discussion of the Humane Movement. Patricia Cameron, Executive Director, Calgary Humane Society is leading a conversation that looks at the four waves of the humane movement.

Other Summit Conversations:
Joe Mauro, CEO of the Canadian Kennel Club will be leading a national conversation on Voluntary Compliance and Best Practices for Breeders. Louis McCann, Chair, National Companion Animal Coalition, will be leading a conversation on the new National Codes of Conduct governing all aspects of the companion animal industry. Mike Dover, author of "WikiBrands", principal of Socialstruct Advisory Group will deliver the National Urban Animal Report for 2010.

Registration:
The specific venues and dates, as well as registration, for this event can be found at http://www.tsuas.com/ or by contacting Judi Cannon;
e: event@tsuas.com or p: 705.749.6607.

PetLynx registers 8253 entities in April 2010

In April 2010 PetLynx registered 8253 entities, of which 4105 were pets and 4148 were associates. This represents a 63% increase over April 2009. This increase was due in part to the CKC registrations which began to come into the PetLynx production system in April.

The Regional Summits for Urban Animal Strategies were successfully delivered during the week of April 19 across Canada, with stops in Vancouver, Edmonton, Halifax and Toronto. There was a very positive response from those attending and a commitment was received from many municipalities to support the "Year of the Cat" initiative in 2011.

PetLynx will be leading the 2011 "Year of the Cat" imitative assisted by Dr. Elizabeth O'Brien, Bill Bruce and the PetLyx allies, CDMV and PetSecure.